Lloyd Park boaters could be beached this summer

Water levels too low for Winnetka ramp, and sand has accumulated

Winnetka boaters may have to launch their vessels somewhere other than Lloyd Park this summer if significant rainfall does not occur. (Gregory Trotter, Chicago Tribune)

Barring significant rainfall, the Lloyd Park boat ramp in Winnetka could be closed this boating season due to the low water level and sand accumulation, park officials said recently.

The water near the ramp must be at least three feet deep for the Park District to allow boat launching. If the ramp is closed, boaters would be forced to take their vessels north to Waukegan or consider other closer, but more costly options, such as Lake Forest.

The problem: Lake Michigan's overall water level is five feet lower than it was in 1997 and is currently at its lowest recorded level, according to coastline engineers working with the Winnetka Park District, citing data from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Add to that the sand accumulation at Lloyd Park and the ramp might not be usable this season.

For now, the Park District is working with the Northfield-based coastline engineering firm Shabica & Associates, Inc., to develop a sand management plan for Winnetka and other lakeshore communities. It's unlikely that any solution for moving the sand will materialize before boating season, said Jon Shabica, vice president of Shabica & Associates, but the firm will be providing regular updates on the situation.

"We could see a couple of big storms and this whole meeting could be a moot point … But we're not going to want to open the ramp unless it's safe and usable," Shabica told a room full of disappointed boaters at a recent Winnetka Park District meeting.

Northeasterly storms would help erode the shoreline naturally; the waves they produce could haul the sand away from the shore, Shabica explained. Beyond that, a short-term solution could be to dredge sand from Lloyd's and move it 1,000 feet south, he said, but that will mean obtaining federal and state permits, negotiating with private land owners and other entities, and paying for a project that could ultimately have short-lived success.

That's the kicker — storms can also deposit sand right back on the shores of Lloyd Park beach, Shabica said.

The Winnetka Park District annually spends about $25,000 to $30,000 a year on maintenance sand dredging, said John Muno, superintendent of recreation for the Park District. Park officials will not commit to the boat ramp being open for any sort of use at this point, he said, but will instead continue to assess the risk and possible solutions.

Winnetka's boat ramp is a relatively small piece of a larger problem, Shabica said. Communities all along the North Shore are dealing with similar issues, he said, adding that his company was having the exact same conversation with Evanston soon. The water level in Waukegan's harbor is low enough to hinder commercial shipping, he said, and Naval Station Great Lakes can't get its own ships out of the harbor.

The water level is so low largely because of changing weather patterns, Shabica said. Milder winters with less precipitation mean less ice on the lake, he said. Without the ice, there is more evaporation.

After the recent park meeting, Louis Gordon, a member of the Winnetka Yacht Club, stood with Josh Mark, the club's commodore.

"This isn't a problem that money can fix," Gordon said. "This is a problem that only nature can fix."

Mark had recently experienced the dangers of shallow water first-hand. Last summer, Mark was sailing back in to the Lloyd Park ramp when waves breaking far offshore — as a result of the shallow water depth — caused his boat to capsize. The boat was damaged, Mark said, but no one was hurt.

Lloyd Park's ramp issue won't affect the many kayakers and paddle boarders who also frequent the beach, Shabica said. In fact, the warm, shallow water could make for a nice season for those users.

But it will affect those like Robert Josellis, a Wilmette resident who is passionate about speed boating. Though Wilmette has a harbor, it has no ramp for boat launching, he said, and there's a years-long wait list for the harbor. So, Josellis launches from Lloyd's almost daily in the summer, sometimes taking his four teenage children out on rides before homework.

Beyond just the proximity to home, Josellis said he loves the family friendly atmosphere at Lloyd Park Beach.

"We'll have to look for another alternative," he said. "It's what, 45 minutes or an hour from here to Waukegan? That's a long ride."